Camera shutter



Dec. 12, 1950 J. w. E. HEARN ETAL 2,533,800

CAMERA SHUTTER Filed July 8, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec lz, 1950 w HEARN ETAL 2,533,800

' CAMERA SHUTTER Filed July 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 12, 1950 CAMERA SHUTTER James William Edward Hearn and Frank Button Meech, Slough, England, assignors to Optical Measuring Tools Limited, Slough, England, a

British company Application July 8, 1947, Serial No. 759,552 In Great Britain May 15, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 15, 1966 6 Claims.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to camera shutters. For certain purposes the exact length of a photographic exposure may be critical. For example if a series of exposures is to be made all of which are to produce images of like depth of tone under similar conditions of development, the exposure must be constant and it is an object of the present invention to provide a shutter which will afford an exposure which can be repeated with a minimum of variation.

In particular, in making successive exposures of an image of a line upon a sensitised surface for the purpose of producing scales with exceedingly fine lines, straight or otherwse, it is important that the successive exposures should not materially differ from one another if the lines which are to be produced are to appear uniform upon development, and the present invention provides a shutter which is of particular value in this connection.

According to the present invention, a, camera shutter and means for operating the same comprises a shutter member or members, means under the control of electric impulses for opening and closing the shutter member or members and means for despatching impulses thereto with exact time intervals between them to open and close the shutter.

Means may be provided under the control of an operator for rendering active the means for despatching impulses with exact time intervals between them.

The means for despatching electric impulses may be constituted by a clock which carries signals contacts electrically connected to the means for opening and closing the shutter member or members.

The invention includes a camera shutter comprising a shutter member for opening the shutter, a signal shutter member for closing the shutter, means for operating each member in turn under an electric impulse, a capping member and means for operating the capping member and thereupon resetting the opening and closing shutter members after operation thereof.

The following is a description, by way of example, of one construction in accordance with the invention, reference being made to the ac companying drawings in which:

Figurelis a front elevation of the apparatus comprising the shutter,

mechanism,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of the operative mechanism of the shutter,

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the shutter, and

Figure 6 is a connection diagram. The shutter about to be described is intended to take the place of the shutter for explosing lines which are to be produced on a scale, and Figure 1 of the drawings or the present application shows an apparatus comprising a base II, on which is supported a bridge I2, which spans the space above an optical dividing table !3 having a circular rotatable head M on which is mounted a circular photographically sensitised glass plate l5. The optical table has a, circular graduated scale and. comprises a prism It for directing an image of the graduations of the scale on to a projection screen ll. Illumination for this purpose is provided by a lantern l8 and in this way the operator can set the table is in any desired position of angular adjustment with great exactitude. These parts are in themselves wellknown.

On the bridge l2 above the table and the plate there are mounted two optical projecting apparatus one of which consists of a lantern I9 supported on a bracket 20 and provided with a shutter 2! in which is also mounted a condenser lens for directing light downwardly through a vertical tube 22 adjustable by a knob 23 and provided at its lower end with a projection lens 24 similar to an ordinary microscope objective. The tube 22 contains a narrow slit the image of which is focussed to reduce its-scale on the surface of the sensitised plate [5 whenever the shutter 2| is opened.

It will be understood that the slit in the tube 22 is positioned so that its image on the plate I5 is radial, and that for every position in which the plate i5 is set the operator will cause the shutter 2| to open and thereb impress a photographic image of the slit on the plate 5 at that position, this image when the plate is developed serving to constitute one of the scale divisions on the plate. In order that the scale divisions may all be equally black when developed, it is essential that the time of the opening of the shutter 2| should be exactly alike for every exposure, and the object of the construction of the shutter according to the present invention is to ensure this. In order to assist focussing of the.

erated before making an exposure to the point at which the bottom end of the tube 22 engages the slip gauge whereupon the lens will be in focus. This is particularly desirable because, as will be appreciated, the apparatus must be perated throughout within a dark room so that the plate i does not become iogged.

On the part of the bridge i2 which overlies the opposite side of the plate l5 from that which is aligned with the tube 22 there is another projection apparatus comprising a lantern 29 on a bracket 36, a shutter 3|, a projection tube 32, an adjusting knob and a projection lens 3-4, these parts being similar to those already described in connection with the shutter 2|, but in this case the tube 32 instead of containing a slit the image of which is projected on to the plate l5, will contain a mounting for a film on which are inscribed a series of numbers corresponding to the numbers of the division marks on the scale which is to be photographically inscribed on the plate Hi. The actual details of the film mounting are not shown in the drawing, but the gate through which the film passes is indicated at 35. The operator, when he makes an exposure toinscribe a line upon the scale at one side of the plate, simultaneously operates the shutter 3| to inscribe a number on the scale at the opposite side of the plate and the film passing through the gate 35 is so synchronised that the series of numbers which it inscribes on the plate correspond to the scale divisions. The time of production of the scale is thereby reduced because the numbering of the divisions and the making of the division marks proceed simultaneously. The shutters 23, 3|, are operated simultaneously by means of a pull-cord 3%; which engages setting members 3?, 38 on the shutters and which passes over a pulley 39 carrying a knob 48 at its end. When the operator pulls the knob 40 he sets the two shutters and owing to the electrical connections hereinafter described, the effect is that an electric clock, indicated at |4|, Figure 6, there after sends out impulses which operate both the shutters 2| and 3|, making an exposure. The shutters will not again operate until the operator resets them by pulling the knob 48 so that he has time to make an adjustmment of the table M to the position for the next mark. Thereupon, when he pulls the knob 48, a fresh exposure will be made.

Coming now to the construction of the shutters 2|, 3|, these are alike and are shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4. Referring to Figure 3, the parts comprise a frame plate 4| to constitute the condenser mounting which is provided in the centre with an aperture to receive the condenser lens 42. The plate is thickened in a direction parallel with the axis of the lens :22 to provide a tabular portion 43 over which the shutter plates 44, 45, 46, work. The three shutter plates are viewed edgewise in Figure 3 and they are overlaid by a cover plate 4'! which is spaced sufficiently from the tabular portion 43 to provide room for the shutter plates, which are very thin. The cover plate 41 forms part of a casing 48 which is adapted to fit over the lower end of the lantern [9 or 29 as the case may be and which is provided with a projecting rim 49 to fit against the condenser mounting 4| around the edge and so to hold the parts rigid when screwed together.

In ure 2 the condenser mounting 4| has been taken away so as to show the shutter plates 44, 45, 46, and the parts which operate them. In

Figure 4, which is a perspective View, the parts are also looked at from the underside, as in Figure 2, that is to say, the shutter is shown upside down with the condenser mounting taken away, the operating parts for the shutter plates shown spaced at little away from each other, and the shutter plates themselves removed. All the central part of the cover plate 4'! is also broken away in Figure 4, this having been done to avoid confusing the drawing by the inclusion of parts other than the operating parts of the shutter.

Along one edge of the aforesaid tabular portion 43 of the condenser mounting plate the tabular portion is formed to guide a rectangular bar 50 which constitutes a shutter-opening slider bar. Above the bar 50 (when the shutter is in working position) is another bar 5| which constitutes a shutter-closing slider bar. Between these two bars work the shutter-closing plate 44 and the shutter-opening plate 45. These two plates are kidney-shaped members pivoted on pins 52, 53, respectively. The shutter-opening plate 45 carries an operating pin 55 which Works in a cross-slot 58 cut in the shutter-opening slider bar 58. Similarly, the shutter-closing plate 44 carries an operating pin 54 which works in a cross-slot 51 out in the shutter-closing slider bar 5|. The shutter-opening slider bar 50 is spring urged to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, by a leafspring 59, but is normally held from movement under the influence of the spring by means of a catch 60 which is formed on the slider bar 50 and is engaged by a detent 10 formed as an extension of an armature 1| of an electromagnet 12. If the electromagnet 12 is energised the armature H is attracted, the detent Ill is moved out of the path of the projection 50, and the slider bar 53 moves to the left, as viewed in Figure 2, carrying with it the operating pin 55 and thereby flicking open the shutter-opening plate 45. The shutter-closing slider bar 5| is likewise spring urged to the left by a spring, not shown in the figures, but similar to the spring 59, and is held up from movement by a projection 6| engaged by a detent 89 on an armature 8| operated by an electromagnet 82. If this magnet is energised the shutter-closing slider-bar will be released and will move to the left, carrying with it the operating pin 54 of the shutter-closing plate 44, thus closing the shutter. The interval between energisations of the electromagnets 12, 82, determines the interval during which the shutter remains open. By supplying two current impulses, one to magnet 12 and the other to magnet 82 at an exact interval of time, the one from the other, the time of exposure by the shutter will be exactly determined.

When the shutter has been operated in this manner, before another exposure can be made it is necessary that it should be reset. If resetting were efiected by merely reversing the movement of the shutter plates 44, 45, another exposure would be made in the course of resetting, which would of course be objectionable. Accordingly, on the opposite side of the cover plate 41 from that on which the slider bars 50, 5|, work, there is pivoted at 66 the before-described shutter plate 46 which constitutes a capping plate. The capping plate has an operating pin 61 which works in a transverse slot 68 in a shutter-capping slider bar 69. This slider bar carries a pin 18 which works in a slot 19 in a resetting slider bar 83. The resetting slider bar 83 is urged by a pair of springs 84, I84, in the direction towards the right, as viewed in Figure 2, and in this position the pin 18 comes in engagement with the lefthand end of the slot I9 and is urged by the springs 84, I84, in the direction to carry the shutter-capping slider bar 69 also to the right farenough to move the shutter-capping plate 46 into the position shown in Figure 2 where it is clear of the shutter opening, and this is the normal position of the capping plate. When the shutter is to be reset, however, the resetting slider bar 83 ismoved to the left against its spring. This-movement is effected by a lever 85 (Figure 4) pivoted at 86 and having a slot 8'1 which engages a pin 88 projecting from the resetting slider bar 83. Movement of the lever 85 in the direction indicated by the arrow 89 will, therefore, move the resetting bar 88 to the left against the springs 84, I84, and one effect of this movement will be to permit the pin 78 on the capping bar 69 to move to the left, the capping bar 69 being also spring urged in this direction. Consequently, the capping plate 46 will move over to cover the shutter-opening 98. When the capping bar has covered the opening it will not be able to move any further as it i made long enough to'abut at 9i against the end of its cutting slot, but this will not prevent further movement of the resetting bar 83 owing to the freedom of movement permitted by the slot iii.

A circular groove 82 is out in the condenser mounting plate 4| and in this groove there works aresetting-cam comprising a ring 88 which can be, seen in Figure 3, but the action of which can best be studied from Figure 4. This ring is omitted from Figure 2 in order to permit a full view of the parts which lie behind it as viewed in thatfigure. The resetting ring 93 can slide around its groove 82 which is concentric with the shutter-opening 88 and it is slotted at 84 to engage the pin 88. Therefore its movements partake of the movements of the, resetting bar Diametrically opposite to the slot as the ring 93 is notched out as shown at 95 and engages a pin 98 on the shutter-opening slider bar 58. As a result, when the resetting bar 83 has moved far enough to permit the capping plate 45 to uncover the shutter opening, the notch 85 engages the pin 96 and moves the shutter-opening slider bar to the right far enough to carry the shutteropening plate back into the position shown in Figure 2 where it obturates the opening 98. At the same time the shutter-closing slider bar 5! is carried to the right by engagement of a pin 9'! which it carries with a slot 98 in the slider bar 58. Thus, the shutter-closing plate 44 is reset to the position shown in Figure 2. Both the slider bar 58 and the slider bar 5I are held in their reset positions by the projections 88, 6|, re-engaging with the cletents i8, 88, respectively. If the operator at this, stage releases the lever 84 the resetting bar 83 and ring 93 will be returned to their initial position by the springs 84, I84, and the pin I8 will be carried by engagement with the end of the slot 18 to the right, as viewed in Figure 2, thus returning the capping slider bar 89 to its initial position and bringing the capping plate 4% into the position shown in Figure 2, the shutter now being entirely reset. The spring which urges the capping slider bar 69' to the left, as viewed in the figures, is weaker than the two springs 84, I34, which urge the parts to the right, which fact ensures that this operation can take place as described.

The lever 85 carries at its end the setting members 3,:I'or38, as the case may be, hereinbefore referred to,- which are connected to the resetting knob '48., The pulley 39 over which the cord 38' passes which is connected to the resetting knob 48 is fastened to the cord at a suitable point of its periphery and carries a projection I36 which, when the cord returns to its initial position after the knob 48 is released, engages a contact. I31 and presses it into engagement with a contact I38. Duringthe resetting period, however, when the knob 48 is pulled, the contacts I31, I38, arev I52 plays between contact members I54, I55, and.

when the shutter has been set in readiness for operation the push-rod I5! has pushed the contact member I52 into engagement with the contact member I54, while when the shutter is released and the opening slider bar 58 has moved to the left the contact member I52 moves down into contactwith the contact member I55, breaking the circuit through the contact member I54. These electrical interlock contacts on the shutters areemployed in the electrical circuit shown in Figure 6 and the electrical connections will now be described.

As already stated, the impulses which .first open the shutter by energising the magnet I2 and then close it by energising the magnet 82 are derived from a clock mechanism I l-l. There is a well-known type of pendulum-driven electric master clock which is capable of sending. out signals at exact intervals of one second, and these signals are utilised according to the present invention to operate suitable relays which pass on impulses to the magnets I2, 82. impulses are conveyed from battery negative by the line I8I to a one pole of a double-po e switch I82 and thence by lines I83 and I84 to the clock and from the clock by line I85 to relay board I88, which is indicated in Figure 6 by a chain line; In addition, a pair of auxiliary contacts I8I are closed by the clock pendulum at the end of every double swing of the pendulum, thus giving a further impulse which it will be convenient to trace from battery position by line H8, switch I82, lines III, I89, to line I88 every two seconds. These auxiliary impulses by line I88 occur intermediately between successive pairs of onesecond impulses by line I85.

The relay board I86 carries four relays R1, R2,

R3, R4, each of which has six contacts below it sponding manner and the relay R4 has only the' left-hand series of contacts in use, namely. numbers R41 to R43 inclusive. When the relay is unenergised the connections are made as shown in the drawing, that is to say, from the uppermost to the lowermost contact on both sides, but when any relay is energised this connection is broken and the central contact is connected to the uppermost one, that is to say, R11 to R12, R14 to R15, YR21'tDR22,' and so on.. v

On the slider bar so there is a cam member.

The

line I33 and the coil of relay R4.

Assuming now that the shutters have been set by pulling on the knob 40, thus moving the slider bars 50 of the shutters 2I and 3| to the right, as viewed in Figure 6 and closing the contacts I52, I54. As soon as the knob 40 has been released and the Wheel 39 has come back to its initial position the contacts I31, I38 are closed and a. circuit is completed which extends from battery positive by way of line H2, contacts R11, R12, line II4 to terminal II5 and thence by line II6 through contacts I38, I31, I52, I54, back to the relay board through line Ill and thence by line III! to the coil of relay R1, the other terminal of which is connected by a common negative line III] to the negative of the battery. Relay R1 operates, breaking the circuit through Which it was operated, by disconnecting R11 from R13 but immediately reconnecting R11 to R12, which is connected by line I32 and contacts R31, R33, to line H8. The relay therefore holds itself on.

At the same time the circuit is made through the auxiliary line I08 from the auxiliary contacts I01 on the clock through line I22, contacts R14, R15, line I2I and contacts R23, R21, to the coil of relay R2 and thence by line IIS to battery negative. Therefore, as soon as one of the auxiliary impulses comes through from the clock, relay R2 operates. It closes a hold-on circuit for itself through line I I0, contacts R42, R41, line I22,

I contacts R22, R21, and it also completes a circuit through line I23 from the signal line I55 of the clock through contacts R25, R24, and line I 24 to the coil of relay R3. Therefore, as soon as the clock sends the first of the one-second impulses which follows the auxiliary impulse through line I08, relay R3 will close. At the same time the signal coming in through line I05 from the clock is passed on through line I25, contacts R34, R36, of relay R3, line I25 and I2! to the contact I52 of the shutter SI and thence through contact I54 and lines I28, I29, to the magnets 12 of both the shutters 2! and 3!, thus releasing the shutter-opening bars of both shutters and opening the shutters. The impulse which is passed on by the lines I26, I21, in this way is cut short by the operation of relay R2, which opens the contact Rae and therefore the magnets 12, after release of the slider bar 50, are im-- mediately de-energised. This is important because the slider bars 55 as they move open the contacts I52, I54, and. connect the line I2! to the contact I55 of shutter SI in order that the next impulse coming in on the line I05 may energise the shutter-closing magnets 82, 82, by way of the lines I30, NH. The relay R3, when it operates, also breaks the circuit of line I32 through the contacts R21, R33, and relay R1 falls ofi. Relay R3, which was only momentarily operated by the impulse through line I05, falls off again and reconnects contacts R34, R36. Consequently, the next impulse, exactly one second later, coming in through line I05 again energises the shutters by way of line I25, contacts R25, R24, line I24, line I25, contacts R34, R36, lines I26, I21, and contacts I52, I55, so energising the shutter-closing magnets I22, 82, of the shutters 2I and 31.

After this another two-second impulse comes in by way of line I08, and as relay R1 has fallen oIT in the interval, this impulse is connected through line I20 by Way of contacts R14, RlG, to Relay R4 operates, breaking the circuit through contacts Rn, R43, and line I22 by which relay R2 is holding itself on. Relay R2 therefore falls oil and 8 breaks the circuit through line I05 and line I23 by which impulses are sent to the shutters. No further operation can take place until the shutters have been reset by operating the knob 40 whereupon the cycle of operations recommences.

Preferably a warning light is comiected to the circuit in such a manner that it is lighted when the shutter is set and goes out when the shut ter has been operated.

We claim:

1. A camera shutter and means for operating the same comprising in combination a clock, an electrical circuit comprising a signal line and contacts in the signal line operated by the clock to establish successive electrical impulses in the signal line at predetermined intervals of time, a frame plate comprising a shutter-opening, two movable shutter plates each capable of movement between obturating position and open position relative to said shutter-opening, two electrically ,is set, by a detent, the detent being controlled by the first of said electrically responsive means, the other said shutter plate being spring-urged to close and being held open by a detent controlled by the other said electrically responsive means, both said electrically responsive means. when operated, acting in a direction to release said detents, switch means automatically operable upon receipt of a first impulse in the signal line and serving to dispatch said first impulse to one of the said two electrically-responsive means to open the shutter plate controlled thereby and simultaneously to change the circuit to despatch the next impulse to the other of said electrically responsive means to close the shutter-plate controlled thereby, and manually-operated resetting means for the shutter plates.

2. A shutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shutter plate which closes the shutter-opening is operatively connected to switch means for changing the electric circuit so that further electrical impulses from the clock are ineffective'to operate the shutter until the shutter is re-set.

3. A shutter as claimed in claim 1 where=n the manually operated resetting means comprises a manually operable lever, a resetting-cam linked thereto and operated thereby, a capping plate, spring means to urge the capping plate to open position relative to said shutter-opening, means associated with the manually operable lever to r move the capping plate to obturating position,

and resetting means for the shutter plates operated by the said cam after the capping plate has reached obturating position.

4. A shutter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shutter plates are pivoted members, the pivots of the plates are each located laterally of the shutter opening, slider bars are slidably located alongside said open'ng and close to said pivots, to one of each of which each shutter plate is operatively connected, and the slider bars are provided with abutments for engagement by the detents.

5. A shutter as claimed in claim 4 wherein a resetting rin surrounds the shutter opening and is provided with means to engage the slider bars and means to rotate the ring about the axis of shutter plates are pivoted members, the pivots of the plates are each located laterally of the shutter opening, slider bars are slidably located alongside said. opening and close to said pivots, to one of each of which each shutter is operatively connected, said slider bars being provided with abutments for engagement by the detents, and said automatically operable switch means being located adjacent to the slider bar which operates the opening shutter plate and this slider bar carrying a cam for automatically operating said switch means.

JAMES WILLIAM EDWARD HEARN.

FRANK BUTTON MEECH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 15 Number 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Luce June 10, 1890 Folmer Dec. 16, 1902 Lattau Apr. 13, 1915 Dinzl Aug. 8, 1933 Walters June 19, 1934 Fassin Oct. 13, 1942 Newton Apr. 4, 1944 Osborne May 21, 1946 Hornberger July 2, 1946 Fowler May 20, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 11, 1945 

